The651.com

Bet you didn’t know the art of the pinup was born in Minnesota – not to mention the lingerie industry. The naughtier side of Minnesota history is getting exposed (pun intended) tonight at the Minnesota History Center’s ongoing History of Hip series.

Art by Gil Elvgren

The spotlight tonight is on the life, times and pinup illustrations of St. Paul native Gil Elvgren, often referred to as “the Norman Rockwell of Cheesecake.” And for good reason: he single-handedly revolutionized the pinup industry, influencing retrophiles for years to come, and the recent wave of burlesque stars and pinup-style fashions over the past decade. Good thing he opted for illustrating over architecture, which he studied at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts before eventually embarking to Chicago. From the mid-’30s until 1972, Elvgren produced more than 500 paintings, later compiled in the book The Great American Pinup.

Also a heated topic of discussion will be Mungingwear, a Minneapolis-based underwear manufacturer that, by 1923, became the largest manufacturer in the world producing underwear. Susan Marks, author of In the Mood for Munsingwear: Minnesota’s Claim to Underwear Fame, will be on hand to share some of the company’s more provocative campaigns.

The program is free; beer, wine and food will be available for purchase. 7:30 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, Minnesota History Center, 345 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul, 651-259-3000, www.mnhs.org